DENVER – Three Wichita area students joined Wichita Mayor Carl Brewer in a Friday afternoon presentation about “green schools” at the annual National League of Cities (NLC) 2010 Congress of Cities & Exposition in Denver, CO.

The three students are members of the Wichita Mayor’s Youth Council and are participating in various youth delegate activities at the NLC conference. They include Dan Depew, Northwest High School senior and the current Youth Mayor; Brandon James, Southeast High School senior, and Michaeli (cq) Hennessy, Maize High School sophomore. Travel expenses for the Youth Council are provided by a grant from Spirit Aerospace.

In their presentation, the students described recycling projects at their respective schools and talked about the importance of student activism in encouraging energy-conscious practices in educational facilities.

Mayor Brewer also described various “green” initiatives in Wichita, including the Equus Beds aquifer recharge project and the EcoPartnership with the China city of Wuxi. The Mayor also related the numerous energy efficiency measures that were taken by the USD259 school district in construction projects associated with the recently-passed school bond issue.

Also sharing in the presentation were representatives from Utah and Maryland, as well as the American Institute of Architects.

The “green schools” workshop was one of more than 30 sessions offered at the 2010 Congress of Cities, featuring local nationally known experts on issues of importance to cities.

The National League of Cities is the nation’s oldest and largest organization devoted to strengthening and promoting cities as centers of opportunity, leadership and governance. NLC is a resource and advocate for 19,000 cities, towns and villages, representing more than 218 million Americans.

Media AdvisoryMayor Brewer and council members are available for telephone interviews during the remainder of the NLC Conference through Saturday night, and also after their return to City Hall on Monday. To schedule interviews, contact Dale Goter, (316) 371-0134, dgoter@wichita.gov.